Fears
by Blue Blooded Phantom
Summary: Everyone has it. Even Maka and Soul. Somehow, thanks to their fears though, they're drive a little bit closer to each other (Somehow, has WWTTR references but, not much. Fifth for the word request fics. For TaIoRaFoReVeR523. Word prompt: claustrophobia).


The setting is years before 'When Wrong Things Turn Right' (my on-going fic) where Soul and Maka hate each other but their parents are really close and stuff. Why? Because I'm being lazy (again, as usual). Maka and Soul are high school students here. So it's AU, you can imagine.

It's like... goin back to time :D But, this isn't really related to the fic itself, 'kay? XD

Also, I shall thank my good friend, Lynzelle Lohan (not her real name xD) for the idea. I love yah girl! XD

Now, shall we? Yes?

Title: Fears

Word requested: Claustrophobia

Word requested by: TaIoRaFoReVeR523

Number of Words: 3,071

.

.

.

It was another day at Death University. The high school campus was indeed lively again as a girl walked together with a boy, both of them glaring at each other occasionally before turning back to the path they're walking on. I think everybody knows the pair. They were famous for being one of the richest kids in school. Also, they're the perfect example of the cat and dog duo. They can't stand each other. It had been such a wonder for everyone who knew them how their parents keep on insisting that they be together everytime when they do nothing but argue. Of course, they understand since the Evans and the Albarns have had strong ties in the past and even now but, it seems like the offsprings from both families... well, you be the judge.

"You're so annoying! You think you're cool? I think not Evans! You're the worst!" The ash-blonde girl shouted trying to walk faster than the guy beside her but to her dismay, she was at her limit but he's just taking it easy.

"Says who?! You and whose army?! You're just some flat-chested bookworm." He pulled on one of her pigtails befofe running.

She yelped in pain before running to catch the white haired boy. "I hate you, Soul! Get back here!"

Meet the heiress of one of the most successful business companies today, yes, that girl running to catch the mischievous boy over there, Maka Albarn. She is the daughter of Kami and Spirit Albarn, owners of Albarn Group of Companies. They own many establishments including malls, banks and other businesses. They are in the list of the most powerful and richest people in the country.

Another couple who made the list are Alfonce and Diana Evans, owner of Evans Hotel, the famous five star hotel. Evans Hotel hosts the biggest events that happen on the country, from presidents and prime ministers visit to international stars and bands concert and even just the fancy celebration of other elites. They're also business inclined. They own a recording company and owns the most famous brand name of musical instruments in the country. Plus, they're business partners to the Albarns. And of course, that mischievous guy Maka's running after, yup. That's the heir of Evans Hotel, Soul Eater Evans.

So these two are the future of one of the richest companies and establishments, not only in the country but perhaps even in the world. Don't see a bright future? So do I.

Ahhh... But not all first impressions last though. Maybe fate has a way to turn things around?

.

.

.

"Jerk."

"Tiny tits."

"Asshole."

"Fat ankles."

"Mr. Evans, I'd appreciate it if you don't bug Ms. Albarn. Its not nice to pull someone down to your level." The silver-haired professor grunted, his eyes not leaving the frog he's dissecting. How did he know they were continuing their incredibly pointless argument? No one really knows. Professor Franken Stein has an amazing ability to catch inattentive students without even looking.

Soul sighed, slamming a hand on the desk. "She started it!" He argued.

"I know." Stein muttered, slowly raising his head from looking at the now dead frog on his dissecting table. He wore the most bored expression as he looked at Soul. "But she doesn't really need to be reprimanded because she can take care of her grades unlike a certain boy who's barely but miraculously passing for unknown reasons." He told Soul who just scowled at him. "Besides, you really are being a jerk, Mr. Evans." Stein returned his gaze upon the poor frog and is now poking its guts. "Your morning banters with Ms. Albarn, which are completely irrational mind you, are totally uncalled for and yet you still pursue on annoying her."

"He has a point~" Maka sing-sang in a quiet tone which made Soul even more aggravated.

The albino shot her a glare before turning to Stein again. "That's just being biased! Just because she's the best student ("Hey!" came a reaction from another top student named Ox Ford) you have doesn't mean she can be treated as royalty!" Soul countered.

"I am not being biased Mr. Evans. And I'm definitely not treating Ms. Albarn as royalty. In fact," He stopped playing with the insides of the frog and looked at Maka who was quite disgusted from seeing the frog lay there, lifeless and open. "Ms. Albarn, I was just about to ask you to kindly get me a jar to hold this frog specimen from the stock room." He told Maka.

Said girl quickly nodded. "Yes professor." She complied, standing up from her seat. Her ash blond hair, which were tied up into childish pigtails, followed her every move as she darted towards the door that leads to the hallways. Soul decided to just give up and stop arguing with the man or else it'll turn worse.

As soon as she was out, a girl stood up as well. "Professor, we have to..." she started, only to be cut by Stein.

"Just go. Girls and comfort rooms..." He sighed, shaking his head.

She didn't waste time. She pulled her seatmate up and both of them ran outside the door.

And so, Stein just set the frog there, smiling at it like a maniac. While it may look freaky, that was completely normal to them since Stein probably dissected anything that has something inside of it in front of the class already.

-/-

Maka stood in front of the elevator. Shaking her head, she turned to the stairs and just decided to run from the third floor to the first floor and back.

Behind a post, certain individuals wondered why she didn't take the elevator. There wasn't even a single person waiting for the elevator and its just on the fourth floor heading down their floor. They took the elevator and proceeded to the first floor.

Back to Maka, she was already opening the stock room which was locked from the outside. It was at the end of the hallway where students rarely visit. Maka raised the lock and kept the doors wide open. 'I just have to grab a jar, that's all'. She told herself. 'Besides, as long as the door's open, I'll be fine'. She assured herself.

As if on cue, the doors closed.

"That's what you get for messing with our Soul."

-/-

Stein's smile began to waver ten minutes later. The girls who went to the comfort room already came back, giggling and gossiping. Maka, on the other hand, still wasn't there. It'll probably take three minutes at most to get to the stock room. Sure it was on the ground floor and they were on the third right now but, there's an elevator.

If she didn't use the elevator, she'd probably be running down the stairs. The most would be five minutes.

"Ms. Albarn sure is taking her time." Stein tapped his foot impatiently on the ground. "Mr. Evans, if you will." He looked at Soul again.

"Why me?!" Soul croaked out, obviously not pleased.

Stein raised his scalpel with a freaky grin on his face and pointed it at Soul. "I've never dissected a rich heir before." He uttered in a dangerously low voice.

That was way to freaky. One, because he looked so serious. Two, since he said a 'rich heir' instead of simply saying 'person'. Does that mean he dissected a person before? And, three, he had sadism written all over his face. Soul gulped. "Fine, fine! Quit pointing that thing to me!" He stood up, walking towards the door.

He lazily walked to the elevator and pressed the down button. Stupid Maka, he thought. "Where the hell is she?" He stuffed his hands in his pockets. The 'ding' from the elevator made him stop wondering for a while. As soon as he went inside, he continued. 'Maybe, she got lost?' He shook his head at the thought. 'Maka, the genius, lost? She can probably walk around school and get to her destination with her eyes closed'. He countered himself.

When he got off the elevator he walked to the end of the hall and stopped in front of the stock room. "Its... locked?" He noted. Maybe Maka used the stairs and went up already. Yeah, he probably just wasted effort. He was about to turn around when he heard the same sound, a little louder this time. He walked towards the door and, as if responding to his footsteps, the sound from inside was heard again.

Soul had a bad feeling about this. Quickly rushing to the long, gray wood which serves as the lock, Soul lifted it upwards, removing it from the hook, and he bolted inside the stock room.

There, he saw Maka, lying on the ground, facing the floor, holding a broken piece of glass. Shards of what seemed to be a broken jar were scattered on the ground, one was just in front of Maka's face, the tip poking her cheek causing it to bleed. Her hand which was holding the shard was next to a laboratory chair with hollow steel legs. There was blood dripping from her fingers and the sight shocked him.

"M-M-Maka... M-Maka..." It was as if his mind went off. All he did was say her name repeatedly. He stared at her panting form in shock.

She could only hear a certain buzz in her ear. She couldn't hear what the person was saying. Gathering all her strength to look up to the face of her savior, she found that her eyes were blurring. The pain on her cheek was growing as she continued to raise her head. Even if she can't see clearly, it's impossible to miss who it was. The albino features made her realize who it was. She assumed that he's saying her name from the way he opened his mouth.

Soul Evans was there. She didn't know if he hated her so much that he's just standing there doing nothing but say her name. Maka felt relieved that the door's open though. She can breathe easily but still, it felt like darkness was taking over. "H-Help..." was all she managed to say before she started to catch her breath again.

That was enough to bring Soul to his senses though. He approached Maka and lifted her up. She could feel Soul shaking and as he looked down her eyes, emerald meeting ruby, she only saw how lost he was. It didn't look like Soul at all. He was so calm and collected but now, he doesn't look like it.

If only she could study his face more. Too bad though. The darkness and the tightening of her chest made it difficult to process whatever was happening now in her head or even look at him.

She was engulfed by darkness.

-/-

Soul was fuming. Maka was in the infirmary, unconscious. The doctor said she had a difficulty in breathing. There wasn't any sign of choking but there were signs of hyperventilation. When Soul told him how he found Maka, it didn't really take a genius to figure out that someone locked her up in there.

He entered the classroom. Stein already left and the classroom was now only filled with his classmates. He stood on the platform. Nobody noticed him since everybody was busy minding their own business or gossiping. They heard of what happened to Maka, that's for sure.

He pulled on a smirk. "So Maka fainted huh." He said loudly, catching everyone's attention. They all fell silent as he leaned a hand on the teacher's table. "Whoever locked her up in there is a genius!" He laughed.

A few girls gasped at him. "Soul!" Liz Thompson shouted, slamming a hand on her desk. She was about to charge forward if it wasn't for Tsubaki Nakatsukasa who pulled her down to her seat.

"HOW CAN YOU BE SO MEAN?! I WILL KILL YOU!" The other Thompson, Patti, grimaced as she started to lunge forward. Again, Tsubaki caught her by the waist. Poor Tsubaki. Have to detain two crazy girls from attacking Soul.

"Soul-kun, have you no heart?" Tsubaki asked, struggling to keep Liz and Patti away from the said guy.

"Does Maka have the heart when she slams that book on my cranium?" He continued to mock with a smirk. "I seriously have to meet whoever locked her up in there! It was fucking hilarious!" Everybody was silent except for the three girls defending Maka and...

...the two girls who went to the comfort room just after Maka went out. Now, that was suspicious. He fought the urge to scowl at them and continued smirking. "Looks like you two are sharing the same thoughts as I." He called the attention of the two. They straightened up, tucking their hair behind their ear and blushing. "It would be awesome if you two were the one who did that. I'd make sure you're rewarded." Soul flashed them a grin and faint squeals came from the two.

"Oh, who knows?" The brunette giggled. "We might be the one who did that." She said in a seductive tone, biting her lip. The blonde just giggled beside her.

Liz and Patti gaped at them and now they were the target. Tsubaki continued to stop them.

"Really now? As a reward, take my piece of advice." He said in an enlightened tone. "I suggest you start explaining now." His smirk turned into a frown. "Harming the heiress of Albarn Group of Companies means serious business. They can throw you out of the country along with your family." He growled at them. "Also, I'll do everything I can to make sure you two are out of this school."

The blonde, seriously not thinking, shouted. "But we did it for you!"

"Stupid! You're admitting that we did it!" The brunette hissed at her.

Soul's scowl grew even deeper. "You did it for me?"

"She's always mean to you! Getting you in trouble! We only did what's right!" The blonde explained.

"THAT DOESN'T GIVE YOU THE RIGHT TO HARM HER!" Soul roared, slamming a hand on the table. "If I annoy her and she hurts me with a hardbound encyclopedia, you shouldn't care! If she annoys me and I pull her pigtails, you shouldn't care! If I like the way we are right now, you shouldn't fucking care!" He continued, his eyes shooting glares at the two. "I'm the only one who will decide if I want to fight back or not! Nobody else hurts my Maka!"

The possessive word flew out of his mouth and he didn't even realize it. The others were too stunned to even notice it. Well, except for three girls who finally calmed down. They just smiled at each other, wondering if that could be a start of something good between Soul and Maka.

-/-

The two girls confessed to what they've done. Spirit Albarn, a professor at the university and Maka's father, was so mad that he wanted the girls expelled but, with Maka's grace, they only received detention for two long months with, of course, Spirit Albarn himself.

Now, Maka was sitting on the bed of the infirmary. Soul was leaning against the door frame as Nurse Nygus examines her. "You're good to go, Maka." She said behind the face mask she's wearing.

"Thanks, Nygus." Maka smiled. Nygus walked past Soul who was now walking towards her.

Maka only looked at him. She was about to thank him when he spoke. "What happened?" He asked. "The culprits confessed but they didn't choke you or anything. Also, a matter of five minutes wouldn't cause you lack of air. There were exhaust fans." Maka avoided his gaze. "Spill the beans." He sat beside her.

Sighing, Maka scratched the back of her head. "So you figured, huh, Mr. Detective?" She shook her head, smiling. "I'm claustrophobic." She confessed. "I just, couldn't breathe when in small spaces."

Soul looked at her. So that sheds light to everything. Maka never rode the elevator. She also keeps the car window open during their service at morning.

"What about you? You were totally uncool earlier, standing there, looking like a fish out of the water." She giggled, remembering his face. His mouth just kept opening and closing and his eyes were wide as he stared at her.

He sighed, running a hand through his white hair. "I was scared, okay? Seeing you like that scared the shit out of me." He said, looking away. "I swore I would protect you..."

"You did?" Maka interrupted.

He glared at her. "Remember that night when we were kids? The drunken bastard tried to attack you with a knife (1)." Maka remembers it of course. How can she not when Soul was bleeding all the way to the hospital because he saved her back then? "I swore back then, I won't allow you to get hurt."

"At least, now you know what I felt when I was staring at you helplessly while you were bleeding. I was scared thinking that I might lose you back then." She said. An awkward silence was shared after that. "Uhm, thanks." She mumbled. Soul finally looked at her. "You've been saving me for a couple of times now so... yeah, thanks." She muttered.

Seeing her bandaged hand and gauze at her cheek, Soul knew he didn't do a good job protecting her. As if his body had a mind of its own, before Maka even stood up, he grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her into a tight hug.

Maka began to panic again. "Soul, I can't breathe!" She tried to push him away but, Soul stayed there, hugging her.

"I won't hurt you and I won't let anyone hurt you ever again." Hearing those words, Maka began to relax.

"You know, we should keep it a secret, my fear, your fear and... the things happening to us now." She mumbled. "It would be so uncool."

Soul just chuckled, still not letting her go. "Agreed."

-/-

And so, they were back to their usual selves after that. Annoying and teasing each other. Still, the two of them felt alright with it. After all, they had a secret only they knew and, remembering it, who could even get mad, right?

Awwwwwww! Soul and Maka's past in WWTTR! I should do some more of these xD

(1) in When Wrong Things Turn Right (I forgot what chapter lol) there's this guy who nearly killed Soul when they were kids. Well, it was supposed to be Maka but, yeah he protected her and… yeah.

Well, That's that. Hope yah enjoyed! Leave a review! I love yah all.


End file.
